AJITH SIRIWARDANA 
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CMC to control rat population in Colombo
The rat population in Colombo has increased and immediate measures need to be taken to bring it under control the Chief Medical Officer of Health at the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) Dr. Pradeep Kariyawasam said.
“A special programme needs to be organised to reduce the rat population. We were unable to attend to the issue since most of our workers were involved in the dengue eradication programme. We will initiate an agenda to eradicate the pest once there are sufficient people available for the job,” said
Dr. Kariyawasam was of the view that rats that bred rapidly in the Port, Pettah, Borella and Maradana areas due to unhygienic eateries, cargo ships and the many warehouses in those areas. Speaking about the diseases caused by rats he said that although the reported number of cases of leptospirosis or rat fever is low, there is a possibility of an epidemic if the rat population is not controlled.
According to the Epidemiology Unit a total of 34 cases of leptospirosis were reported in Colombo this year. It also reported that 708 cases of leptospirosis were detected in the island in March and another 221 in April.
Speaking about leptospirosis in Sri Lanka the Chief Epidemiologist at the Ministry of Health Dr. Paba Palihawadana said that while the number of reported cases has been decreasing the disease is still present in the Western Province, Galle, Hambantota, Ratnapura, Kegalle and paddy cultivating areas in Sri Lanka.
“We have asked all farmers to take the prophylactic drug doxycycline before stepping into their paddy fields. Unfortunately many farmers have refused to take the drug putting them at risk to the disease. High fever, body aches and pains, severe headaches and reddening of the eyes are the primary symptoms of leptospirosis. If proper treatment is not taken it would lead to urine infection and depolarisation of the eyes, Dr. Palihawadana said.
Rats are common carriers of the disease and farmers have been asked to keep their paddy fields clean and destroy all rat burrows. The highest number of reported cases was in 2008 when 6000 people contracted the disease.(Rumana Razick)
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